Are e-scooters legal in NSW?
Mostly no. You can't legally ride your own e-scooter anywhere public in NSW. Only hire-scheme scooters inside the two gazetted trial areas are legal, and that trial ends on 22 January 2027.
- Your own e-scooter
- Illegal everywhere public. Private property only 2
- Hire scooters
- Legal only inside gazetted trial areas (Wollongong, Forster–Tuncurry) 1
- Footpaths
- No. Banned even for trial scooters 1
- Your top speed
- In the trials: 20 km/h on roads, 10 km/h on shared paths 1
- Minimum age
- 16 (trial areas) 1
- Helmet
- Required. The fine is $434 3
- Which roads
- Hire trials only, on roads signed 50 km/h or less. No public riding at all for private scooters 1
- Licence & rego
- The licence and registration exemptions reach only a share-scheme "electric scooter". A private scooter gets neither, so riding one is unregistered and unlicensed use 6
- What's next
- The trial ends 22 Jan 2027. A reform to legalise private riding is under consultation 4
If you own an e-scooter in NSW, there is nowhere public you can legally ride it. Not the road, not the footpath, not the bike path. Your own driveway or back yard is about it.
That catches people out, because every other mainland state has legalised private e-scooters in some form. NSW hasn’t. The only ones you can legally ride here are hire scooters, inside two regional trial areas. 4
Why is it illegal to ride your own e-scooter in NSW?
It comes down to definitions. NSW’s e-scooter rules only apply to “electric scooters”, and the legal definition requires the vehicle to be “borrowed or hired through a share scheme”. 1
Dictionary Only hire-scheme scooters count as "electric scooters" Road Rules 2014 (NSW) 1
electric scooter means a vehicle, borrowed or hired through a share scheme, that— (a) has a footboard supported by— (i) 2 wheels, aligned 1 in front of the other, or (ii) 3 wheels, aligned 2 in front and 1 behind, and (b) is steered by handlebars that control the front wheel or wheels, and (c) is designed to be used by a single person, and (d) is propelled by an electric motor or motors, and (e) may also be propelled by— (i) gravity, or (ii) the rider pushing 1 foot against the ground, and (f) when propelled only by the motor or motors, is not capable of going faster than 20 kilometres per hour on level ground, and (g) is fitted with an effective stopping system controlled by using brakes, gears or motor control, and (h) does not have a seat or saddle.
Your own scooter can never meet that definition, so none of the e-scooter permissions reach it. In the eyes of the law it is a motor vehicle, and one you cannot register.
If you already own one, there’s no way around this. Nothing you do to it makes it legal on public land in NSW. There is no registration to apply for, no permit, no speed at which it becomes acceptable. The only lawful places left are private property and the two hire-scheme trial areas, where the scooter has to be theirs rather than yours. Riding an unregistered, uninsured motor vehicle on a road or road-related area is an offence, and road-related areas include footpaths and shared paths. 2 Transport for NSW puts it plainly: personal e-scooters can only be used on private property. 4
ss 4(1), 68(1) The definitions chain that makes private riding illegal Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) 2
4(1) motor vehicle means a vehicle that is built to be propelled by a motor that forms part of the vehicle. […] registrable vehicle means— (a) any motor vehicle […] 68(1) A person must not use an unregistered registrable vehicle on a road. Maximum penalty—20 penalty units.
The law does exempt some scooters from the licence and registration rules. It’s worth reading who those exemptions cover, though. They reach only an “electric scooter within the meaning of the Road Rules 2014”, which is the share-scheme definition above. A private scooter gets neither. 6 7
cl 98A The licence exemption covers only share-scheme scooters Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2017 (NSW) 6
(1) A person is exempted from the requirements of the Act, section 53(1) and (3) in relation to the driving of an electric scooter within the meaning of the Road Rules 2014. (2) This clause is repealed on 22 January 2027 at the end of the day.
Sch 1, cl 18A So is the registration exemption Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2017 (NSW) 7
(1) The registration provisions do not apply to an electric scooter within the meaning of the Road Rules 2014. (2) This clause is repealed on 22 January 2027 at the end of the day.
Where are hire e-scooters legal in NSW?
The default rule bans electric scooters from every road and road-related area. Transport for NSW then exempts specific areas by notice in the Gazette. 1
r 262-1 The default ban Road Rules 2014 (NSW) 1
A person must not ride an electric scooter on a road. Maximum penalty—20 penalty units.
At our latest check, on 28 August 2026, the trial areas were Wollongong, run by Neuron, and Forster–Tuncurry, run by Beam. Transport for NSW doesn’t publish end dates for the live trials, but the whole framework has a hard expiry written into the rules, which we cover below. 4
Inside a trial area, hire scooters can use shared paths, bicycle lanes and roads up to 50 km/h. Not footpaths. 1
r 262-4 Footpaths banned Road Rules 2014 (NSW) 1
(1) A rider of an electric scooter must not ride on a footpath. Maximum penalty—20 penalty units. (2) In this rule— footpath does not include a separated footpath.
What are the rules inside the trial areas?
You have to be 16 or older, and you have to wear an approved bicycle helmet. Riding without one costs $434. The speed limits are 20 km/h on roads and 10 km/h on shared paths. Ride single file, and carry no passengers. Most offences are $144 on-the-spot fines. 3 Transport for NSW applies drink- and drug-driving penalties to riders during the trial. 4
r 262-8 Speed limits (trial areas) Road Rules 2014 (NSW) 1
A person must not ride an electric scooter at a speed greater than— (a) for a road—the lower of the following— (i) 20 kilometres per hour, (ii) for a length of road to which a speed limit sign applies—the number of kilometres per hour indicated by the number on the sign, or (b) for a shared path—10 kilometres per hour. Maximum penalty—20 penalty units.
Will private e-scooters become legal in NSW?
The government says it’s working on it. A reform to “change the road rules so people can legally ride” has been through consultation on draft rules. It is still considering the feedback, and no law has been made. 5
Meanwhile the entire trial framework has a hard expiry date written into the rules.
r 262-15 The whole scheme expires 22 January 2027 Road Rules 2014 (NSW) 1
The following provisions are repealed on 22 January 2027 at the end of the day— (a) this Part, (b) the Dictionary, definitions of electric scooter and share scheme.
Something has to happen before 22 January 2027. Either the reform lands, or the trial is extended again, which it has been three times already, or even hire scooters lose their legal basis.
What happens if you get caught riding your own scooter?
This is the part people underestimate, because the fines on this page are for hire scooters inside the trials. Your own scooter isn’t in that system at all.
A private e-scooter is a motor vehicle you cannot register. So riding it in public isn’t a $144 e-scooter fine. It is the unregistered and uninsured motor-vehicle offences, which is a different order of problem. 2
Inside a trial area the numbers are the familiar ones: $144 for most offences, $434 for no helmet, which is the biggest of them. Transport for NSW also applies drink- and drug-driving penalties to trial riders, so this can reach your driver licence rather than just your wallet. 3 4
The date to watch is 22 January 2027, when the whole trial framework expires. It has already been extended three times. If the reform lands first, private riding becomes legal. If it doesn’t, even hire scooters lose their legal basis. Either way something has to happen before that date. 1 5
What it costs to get it wrong
| Offence | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Riding a hire e-scooter outside a trial area, on a footpath, on a road over 50 km/h, over the speed limits, under 16, with a passenger, or without a working warning device | $144 each on the spot (court maximum $2,200) | 3 |
| Riding without a helmet | $434 | 3 |
| Riding your own e-scooter in public | Penalties for using an unregistered, uninsured motor vehicle — and unlicensed driving offences can apply | 2 |
Common questions
Can I ride my own e-scooter in NSW?
No. Not on any road, footpath, shared path or bike lane. A privately owned e-scooter is a motor vehicle that can't be registered, so riding it in public means riding an unregistered, uninsured vehicle. Private property is the only place it's legal. 2
Where are hire e-scooters legal in NSW?
Only inside the gazetted trial areas, and only on the streets each scheme covers. Transport for NSW currently lists two live trials: Wollongong, run by Neuron, and Forster–Tuncurry, run by Beam. Neither has a published end date, but the whole trial framework expires on 22 January 2027. Riding a hire scooter outside a trial area is a $144 fine. 4
Can you ride an e-scooter on the footpath (sidewalk) in NSW?
No. Even inside a trial area, footpath riding is banned, and it's a $144 fine. Trial scooters can use shared paths at 10 km/h, bicycle lanes, and roads up to 50 km/h. 1
When will private e-scooters become legal in NSW?
There's no date. The government has been consulting on draft rules to legalise private e-scooter riding, but no law has been made yet. The current trial framework expires on 22 January 2027. 5
Do you have to wear a helmet on an e-scooter in NSW?
Yes. In the trial areas an approved bicycle helmet is compulsory, and riding without one costs $434. That's the biggest of the e-scooter fines. 3
How fast can hire e-scooters go in NSW?
The devices themselves are limited to 20 km/h, and the riding limits are 20 km/h on roads and 10 km/h on shared paths. 1
Every source on this page
The small numbered marks throughout this page point to this list — 1 means source 1 below.
- Road Rules 2014 (NSW), Pt 15-1 (rr 262-1–262-15), Dictionary
- Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW), ss 4(1), 5, 53, 68
- Road Transport (General) Regulation 2021 (NSW), cl 134, Sch 5
- Transport for NSW — E-scooters
- NSW Government — Legalising e-scooter riding (reform project)
- Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2017 (NSW), cl 98A
- Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2017 (NSW), Sch 1, cl 18A
Sourced from the New South Wales Legislation website at 10 Oct 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au. © State of New South Wales. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Reproduced without changes. This is not an official version. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Sourced from the New South Wales Legislation website at 28 Aug 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au. © State of New South Wales. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Reproduced without changes. This is not an official version. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Other rules for New South Wales
- Are e-bikes legal in NSW? Legal, with conditions
- How high can a fence be in NSW? Legal, with conditions
- Is it legal to record a conversation in New South Wales? Legal, with conditions
- What are the pool fence rules in NSW? Legal, with conditions
E-scooters rules elsewhere
- Australian Capital Territory Legal, with conditions
- Northern Territory Illegal
- Queensland Legal, with conditions
- South Australia Legal, with conditions
- Tasmania Legal, with conditions
- Victoria Legal, with conditions
- Western Australia Legal, with conditions
Page history
Every change to this page
- 10 Oct 2026
- Register re-check, read direct from the NSW legislation registers. The Road Rules 2014 (current version 27 March 2026) and the Road Transport (General) Regulation 2021 (current version 9 October 2026) were reconfirmed. The $144 and $434 fines under cl 134, and the repeal of the electric-scooter trial provisions on 22 January 2027 under rule 262-15, are all unchanged.
- 28 Aug 2026
- Fines updated for the 1 July 2026 indexation: the general offence rose from $140 to $144, and riding without a helmet from $423 to $434.
- 27 Aug 2026
- First published. Current to the NSW Road Rules, with the trial framework set to end on 22 January 2027.